


Steadier Footing

by innersanctuaries



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 20:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21167675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/innersanctuaries/pseuds/innersanctuaries
Summary: A street light flickered and died off as Clark Barker flicked open his lighter, raising the dancing flame up to the cigarette held between his lips. Extinguishing his only source of light, he was left in the darkness, just him and the stars. Closing his eyes, he took a drag of the cigarette, breathing out the smoke into the freezing air.





	Steadier Footing

**Author's Note:**

> I've literally had this sitting in my drafts for months, completely fucking finished, and just now realized that I never posted it. Goddamn incredible. 
> 
> Anyway, gotta love them rarepairs! I know a lot of people say the ship name for these babeys is Klarker, but I much prefer Clack. It's precious and perfect, just like them. 
> 
> Song inspo (and title lmao) is Steadier Footing by Death Cab For Cutie.

A street light flickered and died off as Clark Barker flicked open his lighter, raising the dancing flame up to the cigarette held between his lips. Extinguishing his only source of light, he was left in the darkness, just him and the stars. Closing his eyes, he took a drag of the cigarette, breathing out the smoke into the freezing air. 

2AM found him sitting on the porch, watching the last few people stumble drunkenly out of his house. He wasn’t sure if he was waiting for them to leave so he could go back inside, or if he just wanted them gone so he could finally be alone outside. Either way, Clark was sure he’d go back in and find at least one person passed out on the floor.

Sighing, he stared up at the sky. The moon was hiding tonight, the stars taking over and poking a million sparkling holes in the darkness above. There wasn’t a single cloud, the only thing marring the clear night was the smoke spilling from his lips. 

“Smoking is bad for you.”

Clark jumped, not having heard anyone coming by, much less the person he knew that voice belonged to. Cigarette falling from his lips, he leapt up to put it out before it set the front lawn on fire. Another foot joined his, and he couldn’t help but to snort at seeing the velcro shoes he knew so well. 

Looking up, he grinned at his old friend, heart jumping when those blue eyes met his. “You still haven’t learned to tie your shoes?”

“Dean won’t show me how to, and Sam keeps forgetting,” Jack furrowed his brow, pouting. “But these shoes are comfortable, so I don’t mind.”

Reaching into the pocket of the jacket Clark recognized as the one he’d given him so many years ago, Jack pulled out...another pack of cigarettes. With a sweet smile that made Clark forget how cold it was outside, Jack held the box out to him. “Here, these are better for you.”

“Uh,” Shooting Jack a skeptical look, he took the box. “Yeah, cigarettes are definitely a lot better for you than cigarettes.”

Opening the box up, he shook one out, only to find their favorite candy cigarettes. Letting out a belly laugh, Clark couldn’t help but to pull Jack into a hug. “Man, I missed you. Where the hell did you even get these? I haven’t seen them since we were in high school!”

“I get them from the store you used to get them at.”

“Rocket Fizz? I had no idea it was even still open,” Despite it all, Clark pulled away and put a candy cigarette between his lips, offering the box to Jack. Snorting when he did the same, Clark plopped back down on the porch. “I like your jacket.”

Jack grinned, and Clark thought that even the sun wasn’t as bright as that damn smile. “Thank you, it’s my favorite one,” Blue eyes seemed to stare into his very soul. They were just as innocent as they were two years ago. “You gave it to me, remember?”

“I don’t think I can forget that.”

_ A boy Clark had never seen walked past him. The sound of chattering teeth and frozen breath followed him, obnoxious boys whooping and jeering from the locker room. A sopping wet t-shirt and jeans did him no favors in the cold Kansas winter, arms covered in goosebumps. _

_ “Hey,” It was freezing, but at least he wasn’t soaked. Clark slipped out of his jacket and ran after the guy. “Hey, you!” _

_ Shocking blue eyes turned to meet his, stopping him and his heart in their tracks. It was a moment before he could remind himself to breathe. Blood and water dripped from his face, nose bent at an awkward angle. “If you’re going to hit me too, please don’t get my nose.” _

_ “What? No, I’m not going to hit you!” He should have been annoyed or aggressive, but the boy just seemed resigned to his fate, tilting his head in confusion. “You look like you need a jacket.” _

_ “Oh. A jacket would be really nice right now.” _

_ He took his shirt off and paid no mind to anyone that may have been around him, simply wincing when he touched his nose. “Here, let me just…” Clark dug around in his backpack and pulled out a small pack of tissues, gently bringing one up to the boy’s face and dabbing at the blood. “There. Take them all, try to keep the blood from getting everywhere. Don’t tip your head back though, then it all just goes down your throat and shit. It’s kinda gross.” _

_ “My name is Jack.”  _

_ “Cool, I’m Clark,” He held the jacket open for the boy, Jack, smiling softly when he took the hint and let Clark put it on him. Why he was dressing Jack like he was a five year old was beyond him, but neither of them seemed to mind. “We should probably get you to the nurse. Your nose looks kinda…broken.” _

_ “It feels kinda broken too.” _

_ “So then button that up and I’ll walk you there.” _

  
  


“I missed talking to you.”

Jack’s voice quickly ended his trip down memory lane, the sadness in it immediately getting his attention. “You did?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Clark didn’t miss the way Jack’s voice cracked. “You were my best friend.”

They fell into a silence that wasn’t so much awkward as it was sad. There was a rift between them, such a small space between their shoulders. He could scoot over the slightest bit and they would be pressed up against each other, sharing warmth the way they did so often when they were younger. Clark stayed where he was and stared up at the stars.

“You going home soon?”

Nodding, Jack sat next to him and fiddled with the candy in his mouth. “Sam is coming to pick me up in a little while.”

“Cool, you’re still living with him and Cas?” 

“No, Castiel and Dean moved out together a little while ago. Sam adopted me, actually!” Eyes lighting up at the thought, Jack took a content breath of the crisp air. “The papers went through a few days ago.”

“Shit, I’m happy for you! That’s been in the process of happening for a while, huh?”

“Yes, he’s always been like a father to me.”

_ “Sam says he wants to adopt me.” _

_ “Wait, seriously? That would be fucking awesome,” Clark said, voice cracking. He was definitely not teary at the thought of Jack getting away from the bastard of a father he had now. “No more bruises?” _

_ “No more bruises,” Jack grinned, absolute sunshine radiating off of him. His cuts and bruises would heal, and with time, so would he. “Now all I need is for you to stop smoking.” _

_ Clark begrudgingly dropped his newly lit cigarette on the floor, crushing it under his foot. “Happy?” _

_ “Where’s the rest of the box?” _

_ Groaning, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a box of addiction, handing it to Jack. “You’re gonna kill me. Withdrawal is going to be a bitch.” _

_ “Well, I’ll be here to help.” _

_ “Of course you will,” He couldn’t bring himself to be mad when Jack tossed the box into the garbage, knowing it was for the best. “You always are.” _

_ “Why wouldn’t I be? You mean everything to me.” _

_ Clark grinned, trying to tamp down the warmth he could feel growing from the bottom of his feet to the tips of his ears.  _

“What about Lucifer?”

“He’s in jail right now. He tried to kill Gabriel,” Jack said, face grim.

“Holy shit.”

Freezing puffs of dragon smoke filled the air with every rise and fall of Jack’s chest, escaping from his open mouth. Clark tried not to think of warming those lips with his own, turning that icy breath into a raging fire. “It’s cold out.”

“A l-little,” Jack responded, shivering as he spoke.

“Yeah, a little?” Clark quirked a brow at him.

“Okay, a lot,” Jack’s laugh made Clark’s chest warm, spreading all the way to his toes up to the tips of his ears.

“Here,” Taking off his jacket, he draped it over Jack’s shoulders. He couldn’t help but think of how good Jack looked in red. “Get yourself warmed up.”

He tried not to react too strongly when Jack pressed up against him the way Clark so desperately wanted him to and laid his head on Clark’s shoulder, looking up at the stars. 

“Did you know anyone here tonight, Clark?”

Tensing, Clark instinctively looked down to avoid a gaze that wasn’t on him. “Yeah, totally. Why would I trash my house for people I don’t know?”

“Because you like making your friends happy.”

One thing he’d forgotten was the way Jack could say things like that so innocently, no malice behind them. It was something he’d picked up from Cas, and it was one of the things Clark kind of loved. And hated.

“Fine,” He huffed, laying his head on Jack’s. The stars were beautiful with no smoke to hide them. “I only really knew you and maybe two other people. Jack, I’m not even drunk. Who throws a party and doesn’t get drunk?”

“You?”

“Well, yeah. I meant people that aren’t me.”

“It’s alright,” Jack sighed out frost. “I like you not drunk.”

_ I like you not drunk _

“Aw, you like me? I’m honored!” Clark hoped his nerves weren’t shining through his joking facade. Liked him? Jack  _ liked  _ him? The fact that he still liked him even as a person was a miracle. 

“Yes, I do. You’re one of my favorite people, Clark,” Lifting his head from Clark’s shoulder, Jack looked at him with those confused puppy eyes that always managed to kill him just a little. “I thought you knew that?”

His mouth went dry, anxiety spiking through him. “I didn’t.”

“That’s why I came. I really, uh,” Jack avoided his eyes, and was that a blush? “I didn’t know how to talk to you, and I miss talking to you.”

In one split second, Clark decided that he was the single worst person on the face of planet earth. Jack missed talking to  _ him? _ He’d purposefully stopped talking to Jack because he was convinced that he’d only hurt the kid. Also because he was in love with Jack, but that was beside the point. “You do?”

“Mm-hm. You were always my best friend. You mean everything to me, Clark.”

He tried not to notice that Jack hadn’t used the past tense.

“You were my best friend too.”

Jack’s face lit up like a christmas tree. “Really?”

“Duh, who else? You’re probably my favorite person aside from my mom.”

“Then, maybe we can talk again?”

“That’s a really dumb question,” Clark turned to look Jack right in the eye, to look into those starry eyes that made his heart skip a beat. “Of fucking course we can, Jack.” 

Clark knew this was the perfect opportunity to say something. To lean in and kiss him, tell him that  _ Hey, I’m in love with you and have been since the day I laid eyes on you. _ It was perfect, and he knew he might never get another opportunity like that. 

He moved forward, just a bit. It could have been his imagination, but maybe Jack moved too, his hand on Clark’s thigh and curious blue eyes searching his for something, anything. Heart pounding, they were close, perfectly close to each other. Perfectly leaning, a smile tugging at their lips just before they met. 

A car horn broke the silence, destroying the moment and snatching that chance right out of his hands. They jumped back as if they’d stuck their fingers in an electrical socket, shaking their heads like an etch-a-sketch to try and forget. Turning to the source, he saw Sam sitting in his truck, beaming at Jack and Clark. He waved, then called Jack over. 

“Thank you. I really had a nice time talking to you again,” Jack gave Clark the softest hug, one that would keep him warm for days. “I’ll text you!”

“And I’ll answer. See you later, Jack,” Standing to his feet, Clark helped him up and walked Jack over to the car. “Keep the jacket, I’ll get it back the next time we talk.”

“Okay!”

3AM found Clark Barker gnawing on the rest of a candy cigarette and wondering if he’d missed an opportunity. Glancing over at the porch after Sam’s tail lights faded into the distance, he took a deep breath and chose to sit on the curb instead. He didn’t want to feel how cold the concrete porch was now. 

Clark sat and looked up at the stars, wondering if he’d done the right thing. His mind went through all the memories he had of Jack, immediately giving him the answer to his questions. The answer gave him regret and more than just a little bitterness at his own cowardice.

Shivering, he had to wonder if his phone had just buzzed or if he was just freezing his ass off. Pulling out his phone, he couldn’t help but to grin down at the screen.

_ From: Jack! _

_ 3:15am: 8==D _

_ 3:16am: I’m glad I saw you _

_ 3:16am: Would you want to go to Rocket Fizz with me tomorrow? I don’t have any more cigarettes _

Clark snorted. Poor kid still thought that was a smiley face. That was having Gabriel as a second dad for you.

The problem was that he wanted to go. He really wanted to. But Jack deserved better than him, he always had. Clark stood and walked back into his house, leaving his heart on the freezing front porch.

  
  


_ DELETE CONTACT? _

_ [YES] [NO] _

** _[YES]_ **

_ … _

_ … _

_ ERROR: LOW BATTERY SHUTDOWN. CHANGES NOT SAVED. _

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope they're not ooc but hey, past me did her best. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please comment feedback, it helps keep me motivated and helps me know what you guys do and don't like!
> 
> Follow me on Instagram at @archangelica_angelica or on tumblr at innersanctuaries if you want to get in touch or just to watch me shitpost!


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